The No-'Poo Challenge

So... I stopped shampooing my hair in May.

There - I said it. My amazing hairdresser once told me I didn't have to shampoo my hair every day (or at all), and that in fact shampooing it and removing the natural oils makes the scalp overproduce oil and actually makes the hair look even more greasy. And then my friend Susan stopped shampooing completely and her hair still looked great, so I gave it a shot.

My goal was to make it 10 days with no shampoo. This does not mean I didn't wash my hair - I used water and friction to scrub it. I also stopped using products so that I wouldn't have a huge buildup to worry about.

I made it to about a week and I had to do something. It was getting pretty nasty (and I'm, like, a professional and all...). So I did a little research, and tried a baking soda paste on the crown and an apple cider vinegar rinse afterward.

It was awesome. My fine, thin, very straight, flat hair all of a sudden had volume! It was crazy! And the baking soda somehow absorbed the oil without making my scalp freak out. I don't know how!

I ended up going two full months without any shampoo. And then I decided to try it again just so I could have a comparison. The shampooed hair was definitely sleeker and smoother, and silkier. I did miss that. But it was incredibly flat. And for a girl who's had trouble with volume her whole life, this was a major downer. Knowing that my hair can actually look like it's not plastered to my head, without any product, without any worrying, and in fact without even shampooing, made it impossible to go back to shampoo every day.

Ultimately I have settled in a sort of compromise. I have started using baking soda/vinegar once a week, and shampooing about every 7-10 days, or whenever I feel like I want the "sleek" look. But I certainly do not shampoo as often as I used to, and my hair is none the worse for it. I don't think it looks greasy or dirty at all; in fact I think it feels healthier and stronger.

SO: I challenge you, brave soul, to consider the No-'Poo challenge! Give it a try. Set a goal - 10 days with no shampoo. Feel free to use the baking soda/vinegar combo, but seriously give it at least 5-6 days of just water and friction. It takes some getting used to but your hair will love you. Let me know how it goes!!